To many dog owners, one dog in the home simply isn’t enough.But before you go ahead and adopt that second, third or even fourth dog there are a number of points you really ought to consider.

Firstly, you need to have a serious think about the personality and character traits of your dog.To avoid fights, you should seek to pair your dog with a dog of a dis-similar nature, that way they should be able to establish which dog is the most dominant.If you do adopt a dominant dog and your existing pet is also dominant you face the prospect of daily battles. Also, if your existing pet is submissive and quiet avoid homing a dominant dog with a strong personality because it will find it easy to bully your first dog.Hopefully, you have a dog that does not lean too far in either direction.

Next, you should consider your current dog’s size.Try and adopt a second dog with a similar breed to the dog already living with you.A large dog will find it easy to hurt a much smaller breed, even if it is unintentional.If you currently own a big dog who has a great temperament, you may be able to add a small breed puppy to the family, but you will have to be prepared to keep a close eye on the dogs at first when they are together.

Do you have an un-neutered female dog? These dogs often are upset when another female dog enters their domain. It may be wise to neuter your female dog before adding another female. After neutering a female can still be aggressive to another female so a male puppy may be a wider choice.(Of course if you do pair a male dog with a female you need to make sure one of them is neutered or it won’t be long before a new litter of puppies arrives!)

Age is another important consideration and you should avoid pairing a very old dog with a puppy.These dogs often have aches and pains and are less patient than they were when they were younger.If your dog is old then you should strongly consider adopting a young adult dog.

The breed of the second dog is also important and you should try and find out the type of breed your dog will get on with.Toy dogs can often be soiled, jealous and keen for their owners attention. Smaller dogs will be unhappy about you introducing a puppy to the home.More aggressive and dominant dogs like pit bulls are also not good at accepting a new dog into the home.Happily, there are many dog breeds out there that mix well, so do some research first and you should be able to find a suitable partner for your pooch.

The final consideration is financial – can you actually afford a second dog?You will need to find money to pay for dog food, vets bills, accessories and more.

Related posts:

  1. Adopting A Canine – Puppy Or Adult?
  2. Fundamental Key Points In The Doggy Fans Club
  3. The Things That Are Concerned When Adopting A Golden Retriever
  4. Adopting Your Dog
  5. What You Should Know About Adopting A Golden Retriever

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